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Women 

in 

American History 

By 

Harry F. Estill 



THE SOUTHERN PUBLISHING COMPANY 
DALLAS, TEXAS 



Women 

in 

American History 

By 

Harry F. Estill 






THE SOUTHERN PUBLISHING COMPANY 

DALLAS, TEXAS 



■HZ 



COPYRIGHT 1922 

BY 

THE SOUTHERN PUBLISHING COMPANY 

All Rights Reserved 



APR 15 1922 

©C1A673249 



APPENDIX 

Women in American History 

Value of Woman's Work. — From the founding of 
the first EngHsh settlements in the New World the 
women of America have bravely and nobly done their 
part in making our country a great nation. It is true 
that the pages of history are filled with stories of the 
deeds of men, while not many names of women are re- 
corded. The reason for this is that woman's work for 
the most part has been done quietly and inconspicu- 
ously. The home has been her Kingdom, and until 
recent years there was no place for her in public life. 
To men were left the making of wars, the adminis- 
tration of government, and the leadership of move- 
ments affecting communities and states. But even 
before she entered public life woman's part in the 
making of our history was just as important as that 
of men. 

Women as Home Makers. — You remember how in 
the Virginia colony the womanless settlement at 
Jamestown was rapidly drifting to ruin through home- 
sickness, discontent and idleness. Then a shipload of 
English maidens arrived at the Virginia shores. The 
young women became the wives of the settlers and 
established real homes in the wilderness. Soon every- 
body was working happily and the colony was saved 



iv THE BEGINNER'S HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

from destruction. Since that day through all the 
years of our country's history, America has been a land 
of virtuotis and happy homes — made so by the faith, 
courage and intelligence of wives and mothers. With- 
out such homes no country can be truly great. 

Women in Time of War. — In every war in which our 
cotmtry has been engaged, women have shown courage 
and patriotism unsurpassed. During the Revolutionary 
War and the War between the States, the women en- 
dured hardships at home equal often to those of the 
soldiers in the field. They managed the farms (in the 
southern states directing large plantations with hun- 
dreds of slaves) raised food for the armies, made clothes 
and bandages for the soldiers, while their hearts were all 
the while sad and anxious for the safety of husbands, 
sons and brothers. In the World War, our country 
could not have made her wonderful record but for the 
splendid patriotism, intelligence and devotion of our 
women. They were the most active and efficient sup- 
porters of the Red Cross; they were tireless in making 
clothes and bandages for our soldiers; they nursed the 
sick and wounded; they helped in liberty bond cam- 
paigns to raise money for the government; they wore 
old clothes and lived on the plainest food in order that 
our soldiers might be clothed and fed. 

The Emancipation of Women. — In recent years a 
great change has been brought about in the position of 
women. Home-making is still her first great respon- 
sibility, but there have come to her other duties and 
other opportunities for service. She has entered the 
ranks of wage-earners, and she has come to share with 



WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY V 

men the right of voting, and all the responsibihties of 
citizenship. Colleges have opened their doors to 
women on equal terms with men, and unjust laws re- 
stricting her control over her children and her property 
have been repealed. In bringing about these reforms 
the women themselves have led the way by persuading 
the men of the justice of their cause. 

The First American Women. — Among the Indians, 
— the first Americans — their women held a lowly 
place. The Indian ''squaw" was the servant of her 
husband and had no share in directing the affairs of the 
tribe. Yet in almost every colony there were Indian 
women who distinguished themselves by their shrewd- 
ness, courage and loyal friendship for the white settlers 
and who often saved the colonists from destruction. 
Pocahontas in Virginia and Nancy Ward in Tennessee 
were two brave and faithful Indian women whose 
deeds have been told in this book. 

Women in Colonial Tilnes. — You have read the 
story of Priscilla Mullins, the Puritan maiden who 
nursed the sick and comforted the sorrowing during the 
dreadful first winter in Plymouth. 

Eliza Lucas was a South Carolina young woman 
whose father left her in charge of his plantation while 
he served as governor of one of the West India islands. 
Among Miss Eliza's accomplishments was a working 
knowledge of botany, the science of plants. She made 
her plantation home a sort of experiment station to 
discover what tropical plants could best be grown in 
South Carolina. Her father sent her some seed of the 
indigo plant out of which dyes are made. After several 



vi THE BEGINNER'S HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

unsuccessful plantings, she finally raised a good crop 
and learned how to extract the coloring matter from 
the leaves. The dye brought a good price, large quan- 
tities were shipped to England, and the raising of 
indigo^ became a leading industry of South Carolina 
and Georgia. 

Mrs. Anne Hutchinson was probably the most 
talked of woman in Colonial times. On her voyage 
from England to the Plymouth colony, she engaged in 
a heated argument on some religious. subject with one 
of her fellow passengers. Her opponent, a minister, 
apparently got the worst of the debate, for immediately 
upon landing he denounced her as "a heretic and 
prophetess." Nevertheless, Mistress Hutchinson pro- 
ceeded to teach and preach the new doctrines. She 
started meetings for women — a strange thing in those 
days. She was arrested and tried for ''traducing the 
ministers" and was banished from the colony. With 
her family she went to the colony of New Netherlands 
(New York) where she was killed in an Indian mas- 
sacre. Mrs. Hutchinson possessed courage, sincerity 
and eloquent speech. Though probably lacking in 
gentleness and tact, she was the first woman advocate 
of intellectual and religious freedom in America. 

A Brave Woman of the Revolution. — The battle of 
Monmouth (New Jersey), one of the decisive battles 
of the Revolutionary War, was fought on a hot summer 
day. Seeing that the men were exhausted by the 
heat, Molly Hays, the wife of an American gunner, 

1 (Question for pupils: Is the indigo plant still cultivated in Georgia and 
South Carolina? If not, give reasons.) 



WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY vii 

brought water to her thirsty husband and his fellow- 
soldiers during the long hours of the battle. Since she 
carried the water in a pitcher instead of a bucket, the 
grateful soldiers greeted her as "Molly Pitcher", a 
name which has clung to her ever since. In the midst 
of the battle she saw her husband fall beside his cannon. 
With a cry she sprang forward, bent over his body for 
a moment, then seizing the ramrod from his helpless 
hands, she loaded and fired the cannon, filling her 
husband's place during the rest of the fight. The next 
day. General Washington sent for her and made her a 
sergeant in the American army, while the soldiers 
cheered for "Sergeant Molly Pitcher." 

A Charming "Mistress of the White House".— The 
beautiful building in Washington City in which the 
President of the United States makes his home during 
his term of ofiice is known as the White House. Here 
the wife of the president presides as "first lady of the 
land." Many queenly women have filled this place, 
but no mistress of the White House has ruled with 
more gentle grace nor has been more greatly beloved 
than Dolly Madison, wife of James Madison, the fourth 
President of the United States. With unfailing tact, 
courtesy and gracious manner, she put the most timid 
visitor at ease while she disarmed her husband's ene- 
mies and made for him new friends. When the British 
army captured the City of Washington during the 
War of 1812, Mrs. Madison bravely remained in the 
city until she received a message from the President 
telling her to leave. It is said that no American woman 
has wielded greater social and political influence. Yet 



Vlll THE BEGINNER'S HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

through it all, she kept the charm of pure, unselfish 
womanhood. 

MARGARET HAUGHERY, THE ORPHAN'S FRIEND 

A Statue of a Woman. — In the City of New Orleans, 
there stands on one of the principal streets the marble 
statue of a woman — said to be the first statue of a 
woman ever erected in the United States. It repre- 
sents a plain featured woman, clothed in a simple dress 
with a little shawl around her shoulders. She is seated 
in a rustic chair holding a child in her arms. On the 
base of the statue is carved the one word ''Margaret." 

A Life of Sorrow. — ^Margaret Haughery's life had 
much of sorrow. By the death of both parents she was 
left an orphan when little more than a baby. Kind 
friends took the helpless waif into their home where 
she grew to womanhood. A few years after her mar- 
riage her husband died, and not long afterward her 
baby — her only child — was taken. To earn her 
living she went to work as laundress in a New Orleans 
hotel. 

Helping the Orphans. — Margaret became interested 
in an orphan asylum of the city and determined to 
devote her life to the relief of helpless children. She 
spent part of every day in the orphan's home, and with 
a basket in her arms frequently visited the markets, 
fruit stands and stores of the city, asking for food for 
her orphans. Nobody refused her. One morning a 
merchant laughingly offered to give her all she could 
pile on a wheelbarrow if she would wheel it herself to 
the orphan asylum. To his surprise she accepted his 
offer, declaring she would trundle a wheelbarrow full of 



WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY ix 

food through the streets every day in the week if she 
could get that much for the children. 

Rich but Unselfish. — Margaret was a good business 
woman. She bought two cows and established a 
dairy, delivering the milk herself. She made money 
from her dairy and she added a bakery to her business. 
As she grew rich, people wondered why she did not 
wear finer and better clothes. One day a lady said to 
her: "Why don't you buy a fine dress, Margaret, and 
look like other people?" ''Ah, Madam," said Mar- 
garet, ''there's too much suffering in the world." 

How Her Money was Spent.— Margaret freely spent 
her fortune upon the poor. Through her generosity 
three large homes for orphans were established in New 
Orleans besides a home for the aged and infirm. When- 
ever she heard of friendless people who were hungry or 
sick, she hastened to relieve the sufferers. The poor 
called her "Saint Margaret" and she was also known 
as "Margaret, the Orphan's Friend." 

Honors at Her Death. — During her last sickness the 
wealthiest and most fashionable ladies of New Orleans 
hurried to the bedside of this plain, uneducated woman 
who had no relatives to care for her. When she died, 
it seemed as if the whole city followed her coffin to the 
grave. Few great characters in American history 
have had a more imposing funeral. In the long pro- 
cession were the children of eleven Orphan asylums, 
white and black, Protestant and Catholic, followed 
by the officials of rich and powerful commercial organ- 
izations and by high dignitaries of Church, city and 
State. The next Sunday in nearly all the churches, 



X THE BEGINNER'S HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

sermons were preached with Margaret's Hfe as the 
text. Who would not wish to be loved and honored as 
was Margaret of New Orleans, the unselfish friend of 
helpless children? 

SUSAN B. ANTHONY, PIONEER IN THE CAUSE OF WOMAN'S 

RIGHTS 

The Rights of Women One Hundred Years Ago. — 

About one hundred years ago, there lived in the State 
of New York a Quaker girl named Susan Anthony, who 
was destined when she grew to womanhood to lead a 
great movement for freeing the women of America 
from the unjust restrictions placed upon them. 

During Susan Anthony's childhood, there were 
many good schools for boys but there were few schools 
of any kind for girls. Boys and girls were not per- 
mitted to attend the same school. Girls had no chance 
to get a college education as girls' colleges were un- 
known and men's colleges refused to admit them. 
Teaching was the only occupation open to women. 
The laws gave the husband absolute control over the 
wife's property and money (even though she earned 
it herself) as well as complete control of the children. 
The idea of women having the right to vote and hold 
office had hardly been dreamed of. 

Beginning of the fight for woman's rights. — When 
she grew to womanhood. Miss Anthony in her speeches 
and writings urged that girls and women had the right 
to equal advantages with boys and men, and should be 
permitted to attend the same schools. She induced 
the legislature of New York to pass a law giving mar- 
ried women the wages they earned, and an equal 



WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY xi 

guardianship of their children. Through her efforts the 
women of New York for the first time were admitted 
to teachers' conventions with the same privileges as 
men. 

The Woman Suffrage Movement. — The chief pur- 
pose of Miss Anthony's life work was to secure for 
women the right to vote. When still a yOung woman 
she made speeches and held conventions in all the 
counties of New York State in behalf of equal rights for 
women. At this time, her cause was unpopular. She 
was ridiculed and abused as an unwomanly ''freak" 
and a fanatic, but she possessed a keen sense of humor, 
and did not lose her temper when abused. She urged 
that the United States Constitution be changed so as 
to require that women be allowed to vote. In 1872 at 
an election in New York she went to a voting place 
and cast her vote. She was tried for illegal voting, 
and sentenced to pay a fine, which, however, w^as 
never collected. Not many years after her death the 
cause which she had advocated so long and faithfully 
was victorious: the 19th amendment to the constitu- 
tion of the United States was adopted (1920) giving 
to all American women the right to vote. 

CLARA BARTON, FOUNDER OF THE AMERICAN RED CROSS 

A Child Nurse. — Clara Barton's girlhood home was 
in Massachusetts. When she was eleven years of age, 
an older brother fell from the roof of the barn and was 
seriously hurt. Little Clara took her place at the 
bedside of her big brother and be^g^d to be allowed to 
nurse him. She proved herself to be so quiet and 
careful and clear-headed that the doctor finally per- 



Xii THE BEGINNER'S HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

mitted her to take charge of the patient. For two long 
years, she rarely left his sick room* until at last the suf- 
ferer was restored to health. ''That child's a born 
nurse," the neighbors said. 

An Army Nurse. — When the War between the 
States broke out Clara Barton was a clerk in a govern- 
ment department in Washington City. She began 
helping to care for the wounded soldiers in the Wash- 
ington hospitals. She soon decided that there was 
greater need for nurses on the battle fields than in the 
hospitals. She was told by officers that the battle 
line was no place for a woman, but she overcame all 
opposition and on many bloody conflicts during the 
war she came to be known and loved by the Northern 
soldiers as the ''Angel of the Battlefield." Many 
times she narrowly escaped death, her clothing being 
torn by shot or fragment of shell. Wagon trains of 
hospital supplies were placed at her command, and she 
"directed their movements and distribution with great 
skill and success. 

A Red Cross Worker in Europe. — After the close of 
the War between the States, Miss Barton visited 
Europe. While in Switzerland, she learned of the work 
of the Red Cross Society for the relief of sick and 
wounded soldiers. She was deeply interested, and 
during the war between France and Prussia (Germany) , 
she gave her aid in Red Cross work on European 
battlefields. She served here splendidly, as she had 
served on the battlefields of America. 

Founder of the American Red Cross. — On her re- 
turn to America, Miss Barton determined that the 



WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY xiii 

United States should have part in the International 
Red Cross work. Her efforts were crowned with suc- 
cess and the American Red Cross was formed with 
Clara Barton as its first President. Through her 
influence, the ''American Amendment" was adopted 
extending Red Cross relief work to calamities in time 
of peace. She led the Red Cross work in far-away 
Armenia, and again, during the Spanish War, in Cuba, 
besides heading relief expeditions for flood sufferers 
in our own country. Clara Barton died at the age of 
ninety years, honored by kings and queens of foreign 
lands and loved by countless thousands throughout 
the world. 

FRANCES WILLARD AND THE FIGHT AGAINST LIQUOR 

A Long Journey. — Nowadays, a trip from Ohio to 
Wisconsin can be made on the train in a few hours. 
Seventy-five years ago it took Mr. Willard and his 
family nearly thirty days to make the journey. They 
traveled in a wagon train of three ox wagons with 
curved tops of white canvas. In the first wagon was 
Mr. Willard, the father; in the next the boy Oliver was 
the driver; while in the third sat Mrs. Willard with her 
two little girls, Frances and Mary, nestled amid the bed 
clothes and household furniture. They cooked their 
bacon and potatoes on the ground, camp fashion, and 
at night slept in the wagons when not awakened by 
the howling of wolves. On their way they passed a 
small settlement on swampy ground at the southern 
end of Lake Michigan. This little settlement after- 
ward grew to be the City of Chicago. 

School Girl, Teacher, College President. — After be- 



XIV THE BEGINNER'S HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

coming established in her new home in Wisconsin, 
Frances Willard attended a country school, then en- 
tered a girl's college in Illinois where she graduated. 
She was editor of the college paper and an eager stu- 
dent, though fond of mischievous pranks. She trav- 
eled in Europe and later became president of the Col- 
lege where she graduated and afterward Dean of 
Women at Northwest University (Illinois). 

Leader in the Temperance Movement. — At this 
time, drunkenness was common. Saloons, or ''bar- 
rooms," flourished in every town and whiskey was 
kept in the homes of many of the best people. A great 
movement against whiskey called the ''Temperance 
Crusade" was started. Bands of women whose hus- 
bands, sons and fathers were victims of drunkenness, 
marched through the streets singing hymns, praying 
and begging the saloon keepers to quit their business. 
Miss Willard became deeply interested in the cause of 
the women and began making speeches in behalf of 
temperance. She decided to give up teaching and 
devote her life to the fight against liquor and its evils. 

A National Leader. — Miss Willard' s eloquent speeches 
attracted nation-wide attention. She became Presi- 
dent of the National Women's Christian Temperance 
Union and she traveled through the southern states 
and every part of the Union organizing branches of 
the W. C. T. U. In 1884 she was one of the organizers 
of the Prohibition party. She died at the age of 58. 

Honored at the Nation's Capital. — Twenty-two years 
after the death of Frances Willard, the cause to which 
she devoted the best years of her Hfe and for which 



WOMEN IN AMERICAN HISTORY XV 

she did more than any other person, finally triumphed, 
when the 20th amendment to the constitution of the 
United States was adopted, forever prohibiting the 
manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquor in the 
United States. 

In the capitol at Washington, the State of Illinois has 
placed the marble image of Frances Willard as one of 
its foremost citizens. The Congressman who presented 
the statue said in closing his address: 

'Trances E. Willard once said: 'If I were asked what 
is the true mission of the ideal woman, I would say it is 
to make the whole world home-like.' Illinois, there- 
fore, presents this statue not only as a tribute to her 
whom it represents — one of the foremost women of 
America — but as a tribute to woman and her mighty 
influence upon our national life ; to woman in the home ; 
to woman wherever she is toiling for the good of hu- 
manity; to woman everywhere who has ever stood for 
God, for home, for native land." 

THE FEDERATED WOMEN'S CLUBS 

A New Force in American Life. — Within the last 
thirty years a new force has made itself felt in the life 
and history of the American people. An increasing 
number of women — now more than two million — 
living in every state of the Union have banded them- 
selves together — first in single groups called clubs ; 
then the separate clubs in order to be helpful to each 
other and have greater power in carrying out their 
common purposes, have through their representatives 
formed "federations," city, district, state and na- 
tional. This great army of club women with their won- 



XVI THE BEGINNER'S HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY 

derful organization to concentrate and direct their 
native talents, trained minds and boundless enthu- 
siasm, have been exerting a mighty and an ever- 
widening influence upon the welfare and happiness of 
the American people. 

Aims and Achievements of the Federated Women's 
Clubs. — The object of the General Federation of 
Women's Clubs as stated in the constitution is *'to 
bring into communication with each other the various 
women's clubs throughout the world, in order that 
they ma}^ compare methods of work and become mu- 
tually helpful." Thus the field of the Federation is 
world-wide. The work of Women's Clubs includes 
every conceivable subject connected with the purity 
and happiness of the home, the protection of the help- 
less and unfortunate, the progress of education, the 
promotion of the health, happiness and morals of the 
community. Women's clubs have secured the pas- 
-sage of laws to guard the public health, establish 
public libraries, kindergiartens and children's play- 
grounds, to protect women and children working in 
factories and elsewhere, to establish juvenile courts, 
to provide night schools and vacation schools, and in 
hundreds of other ways they have helped to make the 
lives of all the people happier and purer and more 
useful. 



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